If you live in the greater Houston area or anywhere in Texas, I really hope that you got outside and had an opportunity to take in a little bit of a beautiful day today.
A friend and I were talking at the finish line of today's 38th annual Huntsville Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon and 5K about our culture today - and just how it is changed.
I think we're not the far apart in age, although I'm definitely older.
They related a story from last night's packet pickup about a runner that asked, "What time do I need to be there?"
And, naturally, both of us - from our respective professions and being involved in the leadership of a running club and event production in general - were like "ah, the race starts at 8 a.m." so "sometime before 8 a.m."!
We mutually blamed the devices in our hands - our smartphones.
Yet I think that - with the benefit of some rest and sleep - we really have to think about doing our best to help - those of us with the ability - people focus from their hyper-divided world to put info into a small enough bit to firmly grasp it.
I shared it because for the second time this year I was race announcing where the National Anthem singer arrived as we were either playing -- or trying to sing it as a group a capella.
When I announce, to satisfy that body of runners whose world is hyper-divided, my major task - as I've shared before - is to order pre-race communications and activities in such a way to 1.) get people to and from where they need to be to 2.) get the race started on-time (as long as everything, of course, on the race course is clear to start).
And, when possible, always have a backup or contingency plan in mind - which usually comes from experience of doing it over and over - if the original plan doesn't go as planned.
When I arrived, after making a couple of opening announcements, I began to get my pieces together for the pre-race ceremonies.
I got with Seven Hills Running Club treasurer Ken Johnson to say a few words about charter member True Cousins, who recently passed away.
I then coordinated with Steven Bickford about how I wanted to have a moment of silence and go right into the prayer. I learned that somebody else would be leading the prayer.
Fantastic. We all can call upon God for to ask for protection and safety on the course for all participants - runners and volunteers alike.
At about 7:40 a.m., I started to see where the National Anthem singer was.
The young man, Steven's son-in-law, who was playing music had a version of the National Anthem to be played if we needed it.
In the back of my mind, we had a separated start. Half marathoners and quarter marathoners at the "finish line" and 5K runners were 270 feet up the street.
So I had to have the National Anthem finished in time to allow for runners for the 5K to get to their position to be able to start all three races at one time.
As the prayer finished, I still had no singer.
So the button was pressed for a recorded version, which is not my favorite. (Note: The version selected was perfectly fine. Just that we had to have a recorded version is what I didn't like.)
Many of you have heard me share that I'd rather have somebody singing it and if it is a young person, even better.
And no sooner had the Anthem started to play, the singer came into view.
I felt terribly bad. I mouthed to her, "I'm sorry."
And she understood, thankfully. The outcome of a sweet spirit, I'm sure.
Again, it is the second time that it is happened this year. (The other was at this year's Gusher Marathon in Beaumont.)
So maybe it is better for us to communicate, whenever possible, I really need you here by "a certain time".
That isn't to suggest failure on anybody's part this morning. Things happen.
I know, for example, that the new traffic direction on Bobby Marks Drive on the Sam Houston State campus (going from a two-way to a one-way street) threw me for a loop at 6 a.m.
I can only imagine what it did for people who have been coming to run the Huntsville Half for many, many years and had to deal with it for the very first time today.
But we have to realize that our strengths may be somebody else's weakness and God tasked us the opportunity to help individuals.
I appreciate the Seven Hills Running Club for having me out to announce their race and to trust me with the presentation of a long-standing event that came together as a result of the hard work of a lot of fine people.
I'm not a member of a running club or training group anymore (more so because I don't have the time to commit to one), but if I were, Seven Hills Running Club, Bay Area Running Club and Volte Endurance Training are the three tribes, if you will, that I highly identify with.
I felt a bit guilty accepting what I did today, but I've been blessed by God with some abilities that are uniquely packaged together to deliver a particular product that people seem to appreciate and enjoy.
And it takes some various worries off the hands and minds of others - and it frees them up to the tasks that they need to successfully execute.
As I struggle with the future volume of how much race announcing I continue to do into 2017, as I want to run more races as I get older to "stay in the game", as my friend Jim Braden likes to say, what I get - intrinsically - from it - while I'm doing it - is the relationships and friendships that I'm fortunate enough to derive from it.
Where else can an introvert like me have a thousand-plus friends and positive acquaintances?
One of the things that I discussed with my friends at today's finish line is that if you're in the vicinity while I'm working at race, please come by - even if just to give me a fist bump.
Most of you realize that there are times that I can't talk for a length of time because of those things that I spoke of earlier.
However, I value that connection more than you ever know.
I enjoy edifying you in your accomplishments, but your willingness to say "Hi!" by shaking my hand or offering a fist bump - especially during flu season - is your affirmation to me and I'm thankful to have it.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Great Trips Include A Tear Or Two; September 26, 2016
It's hard to believe that more than three years have passed since Waverly made a decision to attend and was accepted into Liberty University that made the first of what has now been 16 trips to Lynchburg.
Basically, you can attribute four trips to the start of each school year.
Another four is a minimum of at least one trip each fall semester.
And then I squeezed in additional trips here and there.
A surprise trip to see her run a 5K.
Another I decided to run a marathon in Raleigh and was able to get up for 24 hours and a football game.
And, sadly, one was after my grandfather passed away and I flew to Raleigh-Durham to drive her to Pennsylvania to attend his memorial service.
As a parent, it has been a good ride.
And, yes, I actually said to myself this weekend that I was going to miss making trips here.
Certainly not for the joy of getting to Lynchburg, but rather for being able to go in to love, support, encourage and, as she says, cheer her on as she comes close to the mark of graduating in May. (She’ll be able to walk in May, but will not get her degree until she completes her student teaching in the fall semester of 2017. Please keep the decision she needs to make by February 1 as to where she does this student teaching in your prayers.)
As certain things have transpired recently with my job, there was a certain concern that I might not even have been able to make this trip in early August.
However, I'm thankful that God made it possible for me to be able to go.
The premise of the fall trip each of the last three years has been to run the Virginia 10-Miler together, but the time spent this trip - just about 54 hours minus a sleep or two - was much more than that.
Because the Virginia 10-Miler partnered with the Holiday Inn in downtown Lynchburg for a special race rate, I was able to save about $200 compared to the Marriott properties that I normally stay at.
It was a different experience staying in downtown and one that I hope that the town continues to enhance over the years.
Waverly got up early and met me in downtown at 6 a.m. Friday morning as we did a short 30-minute social run, just to catch up.
We talk every week, typically on Sunday evenings. Otherwise, I try not to interrupt her at any length of time during the week unless something serious comes up.
Additionally, I didn't want to ruin her race on Saturday, but we actually ran in downtown for the first time ever in any of our trips.
We got done right at 6:30 a.m. and she was able to go back to her dorm and get ready for class at 9-something and Convocation at 10:30 a.m.
Last year was the first time that I was able to attend Convocation with her.
It was the second time that I have witnessed what I envision Heaven to look like. There were 10,000 or more young people worshipping Christ together. It brought tears to my eyes then last year and for a moment on Friday, it did again.
I just can't tell you how overjoyed I am that Waverly can be as immersed in this two of three times a week (one she usually has to do cleanliness checks in the dorms as part of her resident assistant responsibilities.)
She gets to hear from speakers from all walks of life and not necessarily all of them are born again Christians and Christ followers, but have excelled in a particular walk of life.
After she needed to get a few things taken care of, we drove to the race packet pickup location which is also where the Lynchburg Public Library is nearby.
In it was a small exhibit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his 1962 visit to Lynchburg, a year and a half before he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.
After that, we spent no more than 10 minutes getting our packets and race numbers.
We drove back to Liberty University where we walked a part of the campus that we ran in August to see the update of some of the building upgrades that continue to be completed.
It is incredibly impressive.
The campus has been and will continue to be completely transformed in the years to come.
We saw Liberty’s Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development, David Nasser, in this central lawn area and was waiting for him to finish a conversation just to be able to say “Hello!” and thank him for what he has done during Waverly’s time there.
However, one of Waverly’s best friend’s husband, Dan, came walking up from another direction and we said “Hello!” and chit-chatted for a few minutes. Waverly was a member of her best friend’s bridal party this past June.
After walking from the parking lot near the field hockey field to campus, we came back and watched about 10-15 minutes of the women's match against Quinnipiac before heading to the Holiday Inn downtown, where Waverly rested up a little bit.
She took a personal day on Friday – as she has up to 10 per semester to take. It is good for her to be able to get away and rest and she did some.
We had dinner Friday night - as we have many times - at Vinny's to fuel up for the race the next morning. It was the first of many great times during the trip that she was able to share some things with me that were on her heart.
Staying in downtown where we did, it was much easier to get to the race site – just outside of E. C. Glass High School – on Saturday morning.
We work so much in planning on what our desired outcome is – during vacation and other things - and work backwards.
We left the hotel, as planned, by 6:45 a.m. and were parked no more than 10-12 minutes later. No stress at all.
We walked to where a lot of the pre-race festivities and the start/finish line was. We spent about 30 minutes in the area, just relaxing and getting ready to run. We saw Dr. David Horton, noted ultrarunner and Liberty University professor, but it was hard to catch him once we noticed where he was as he was continually moving on a bike. (Presuming he performed some type of escort duties during the race.)
Our only goal was for Waverly to be able to see her roommate and RA partner, Natalie, from last year and we succeeded. I was able to meet her parents, we all took a few pictures and then we made our way to the starting queue.
My plan was to stay as close to her as I could for as long as I can, but I knew that Saturday was going to be her day.
We ran together all the way to the bottom of Farm Basket Hill before she was able to charge back up the other side faster than me.
On the way there, we ran up behind one of Waverly’s professors in the School of Education, Kristina Dewitt. I encouraged her to say “Hi!” She did and it was a great exchange as her professor recognized her and returned the acknowledgement.
I saw Waverly ahead of me periodically throughout the first five miles of the race. There’s one pretty steep, but short hill right before the mile 5 marker. She went through it about a minute faster than I did and that is the last that I saw of her.
Her chip time was 53:17 and mine was 54:12.
Then she put a two minute and six second spanking on me by going 53:45 on the return trip to the finish line.
She finished in 1:47:02 – four minutes faster than last year (1:51:01) and the year before (1:51:32).
I posted a time of 1:50:03 after showings of 1:51:00 and 1:51:33 the previous two years. I’ll take it.
All in all, I ended up running pretty consistently until the last two miles, which both have a lot of uphill. Here are my splits:
Mile 1 -- 10:13.01
Mile 2 -- 11:15.98
Mile 3 -- 11:03.14
Mile 4 -- 10:43.94
Mile 5 -- 10:56.06
Mile 6 -- 11:06.97
Mile 7 -- 11:03.40
Mile 8 -- 10:40.46
Mile 9 -- 11:30.96
Mile 10 -- 11:29.84
Not a lot of variability, but just wishing I could have shaved six to 12 seconds off per mile!
We got away from the race site fairly quickly, went back to the hotel, cleaned up and then walked down Main Street to our favorite breakfast location, Market at Main.
It was pretty busy, as we’ve come to expect any more, especially later in the morning.
A little bit more rest was in order for Waverly before I dropped her off at her dorm so she could help work with one of their Brother dorms to do a tailgate for the Liberty-Jacksonville State football game.
I went back to the hotel for a little while and then came back, walked over to the main campus, watched the drum corps, Sparky (Liberty’s mascot) and the cheerleaders lead the football players up to Williams Stadium after they got off the buses and then went back.
I got to see another one of Waverly’s best friends, Lindsay, and also met her roommate, Ellie.
The most interesting part of it all was that one of Waverly’s friends’ parents were from Pennsylvania, but I think that they currently live in North Carolina.
The father had a Pirates hat on and they brought a Steelers bean bag toss set for some of the students to play games on. Waverly asked the Mom where in Pennsylvania they were from. She replied, “I’m originally from the Philadelphia area and my husband is from central Pennsylvania.”
We hear that a lot and the first question in return was, “Where in central Pennsylvania?”
She said, “Tyrone.” We were both floored.
It, of course, is where I’m from and both my Mom and Dad graduated from high school.
It was some great and interesting conversation!
We walked some things back to her dorm – a decent bit away – and then back to the area where the tailgate was had and my rental car was parked and then we went on to the Stadium for the football game.
We sat in the student section, straight up from the 50-yard line after some of the students from their Brother dorm saved some seats. I got to meet one of the student leaders for her Hall, Emily.
Liberty had its hat handed to them by Jacksonville State, were down 27-3 at the half and we left for ice cream from Mr. Goodie’s on Timberlake Drive in Lynchburg. Definitely much more palatable.
We attended the 8:30 a.m. worship service at Blue Ridge Community Church in New London, Virginia (or Forest).
It was the first in a Series of messages over the next eight weeks about Joshua that relates to their decision as a church to establish another campus in the nearby community of Bedford, which is down Highway 29 towards Roanoke.
We saw a friend of Waverly’s, Grace and her fiancé, Drake.
During our 2015 summer vacation, we were driving towards East Lansing, Michigan as I wanted to see the stadium where the Spartans played. Waverly had Facebook open and realized that Grace was close, at a place where you gather as a group and paint.
We stopped by, surprising Grace and her Mom that day. It was just something that you do when you have the opportunity.
As we talked, Grace said that day was when her Mom really realized the quality of people that Liberty University attracted to its school. I think we’re safe to say that we were both floored with that.
Neither Waverly nor I do things with those thoughts in mind. We just do what we believe to be right towards other people in light of what we’ve learned from God’s teachings.
It was really good to visit with them both. I learned that Drake was an aviation major and was looking to get a job after graduation in Michigan doing mechanics in the commercial airline business.
After church was over, we went back to Market At Main for breakfast again before it was time for me to head back to Reagan National to fly home.
It is funny, in a way, as I’ve told parents that leaving your children gets easier after that first year.
I may have to revise and amend my remarks because it was very hard for me to leave yesterday, for a multitude of reasons.
First of all, it is a season of change for Waverly.
She’s finishing up her classwork and she’s got some big decisions to make in the months to come. I know that she is prayerfully seeking God’s perfect will in her life, which is something that I’m praying for her as well.
Liberty University has provided her a safe environment to broaden herself, which I think she has done incredibly well. She has made some friends to compliment and support her that I’m inclined to believe that she’ll have for quite some time.
She’s been able to grow in her faith.
She’s got an incredible heart for people, especially children. I think she’ll make a great teacher and educator and I believe that she’ll connect incredibly well with them in the months and years to come.
She really makes parenting easy and I love being able to be supportive of her.
I like to think that one of the things that I’ve been able to help her with is to think ahead in the things that she does today.
For example, I noticed that there was a Graduate School Fair on campus on Tuesday, September 27. I recommended that if her schedule allowed for her to attend it to just simply to gather some information about the processes.
Her current plan is to go teach for awhile and then go back to school to get an advanced degree, but I advised her that things can always change and that God may lead her in a different direction. Just by getting some exposure now to how pursuing Graduate School may be and how to apply and get it may be a benefit to her later on.
She’s truly a fortunate young woman in that she knows a vast number of people as well as many, many of my friends in the running community that I have who are teachers that can answer her questions and help guide her.
So, yes, I cried a bit, but they are tears of pride in seeing – and wanting for – her to continue to do well.
Meanwhile, I had a fun time of travel home.
I get to Reagan National at about 3:45 p.m. – after leaving Lynchburg at noon. And this was without getting on Interstate 95 going north. By 4 p.m., I was checked in and ready to go through TSA.
My flight was scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. departure. Well, two delays pushed it back to close to 9 p.m.
I had called my parents, who were picking me, and notified them of the delays.
So I had dinner and then went to work at a gate away from where my flight departed. About 8:15 p.m., I went to gate 16 to be ready to board soon and I saw people lined up working with the gate agents.
The flight had been cancelled. I would learn later that the flight crew incoming had timed out due to weather delays in Houston.
On my phone was a text message that my flight from Newark would depart at 11:48 p.m. So they had already worked to get me on another flight to make it home.
I looked, realized that there was a flight from DCA to Newark (EWR) and I went to that gate. I was able to get a boarding pass for that flight, but not for the EWR-IAH connection.
I actually went back to the original gate, but the line was such that I might have missed the DCA-EWR flight.
We boarded and got in the air about 10-15 minutes later than the boarding pass indicated, but made it in plenty of time to make the connection. Sort of.
As soon as I got off the plane, there was a Customer Service counter to the left that was still open in Terminal A. I spoke with a representative, explained to him the craziness that was going on and got my boarding pass for the EWR-IAH leg. Even though it was a middle seat, I was thankful to have it – 11B.
Then we had to take a bus to Terminal C. Once I got there, and with a clock ticking towards an 11:48 p.m. departure, anxiety started to get a little high as there didn’t seem to be a sense of urgency about getting eight of us to the other terminal.
Things finally happened and once to Terminal C, we quickly realized that we wouldn’t be leaving soon.
At some point in time, we boarded and I think we left at around 12:30 a.m. Eastern time. I say “I think” because I was out after a little bit.
We landed around 1:30 a.m., but the bags didn’t come until a little after 2 a.m. And then mine didn’t make it, even though others from the DCA-EWR-IAH did. I was told that it might have been a weight issue, which makes sense, but I wish they just would have told me so that I wouldn’t have wasted about 45 minutes.
I got home and got in bed around 3 a.m. Monday morning, but it was all worth it for the time I got to spend with Waverly.
I’m a very fortunate father.
Basically, you can attribute four trips to the start of each school year.
Another four is a minimum of at least one trip each fall semester.
And then I squeezed in additional trips here and there.
A surprise trip to see her run a 5K.
Another I decided to run a marathon in Raleigh and was able to get up for 24 hours and a football game.
And, sadly, one was after my grandfather passed away and I flew to Raleigh-Durham to drive her to Pennsylvania to attend his memorial service.
As a parent, it has been a good ride.
And, yes, I actually said to myself this weekend that I was going to miss making trips here.
Certainly not for the joy of getting to Lynchburg, but rather for being able to go in to love, support, encourage and, as she says, cheer her on as she comes close to the mark of graduating in May. (She’ll be able to walk in May, but will not get her degree until she completes her student teaching in the fall semester of 2017. Please keep the decision she needs to make by February 1 as to where she does this student teaching in your prayers.)
As certain things have transpired recently with my job, there was a certain concern that I might not even have been able to make this trip in early August.
However, I'm thankful that God made it possible for me to be able to go.
The premise of the fall trip each of the last three years has been to run the Virginia 10-Miler together, but the time spent this trip - just about 54 hours minus a sleep or two - was much more than that.
Because the Virginia 10-Miler partnered with the Holiday Inn in downtown Lynchburg for a special race rate, I was able to save about $200 compared to the Marriott properties that I normally stay at.
It was a different experience staying in downtown and one that I hope that the town continues to enhance over the years.
Waverly got up early and met me in downtown at 6 a.m. Friday morning as we did a short 30-minute social run, just to catch up.
We talk every week, typically on Sunday evenings. Otherwise, I try not to interrupt her at any length of time during the week unless something serious comes up.
Additionally, I didn't want to ruin her race on Saturday, but we actually ran in downtown for the first time ever in any of our trips.
We got done right at 6:30 a.m. and she was able to go back to her dorm and get ready for class at 9-something and Convocation at 10:30 a.m.
Last year was the first time that I was able to attend Convocation with her.
It was the second time that I have witnessed what I envision Heaven to look like. There were 10,000 or more young people worshipping Christ together. It brought tears to my eyes then last year and for a moment on Friday, it did again.
I just can't tell you how overjoyed I am that Waverly can be as immersed in this two of three times a week (one she usually has to do cleanliness checks in the dorms as part of her resident assistant responsibilities.)
She gets to hear from speakers from all walks of life and not necessarily all of them are born again Christians and Christ followers, but have excelled in a particular walk of life.
After she needed to get a few things taken care of, we drove to the race packet pickup location which is also where the Lynchburg Public Library is nearby.
In it was a small exhibit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his 1962 visit to Lynchburg, a year and a half before he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.
After that, we spent no more than 10 minutes getting our packets and race numbers.
We drove back to Liberty University where we walked a part of the campus that we ran in August to see the update of some of the building upgrades that continue to be completed.
It is incredibly impressive.
The campus has been and will continue to be completely transformed in the years to come.
We saw Liberty’s Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development, David Nasser, in this central lawn area and was waiting for him to finish a conversation just to be able to say “Hello!” and thank him for what he has done during Waverly’s time there.
However, one of Waverly’s best friend’s husband, Dan, came walking up from another direction and we said “Hello!” and chit-chatted for a few minutes. Waverly was a member of her best friend’s bridal party this past June.
After walking from the parking lot near the field hockey field to campus, we came back and watched about 10-15 minutes of the women's match against Quinnipiac before heading to the Holiday Inn downtown, where Waverly rested up a little bit.
She took a personal day on Friday – as she has up to 10 per semester to take. It is good for her to be able to get away and rest and she did some.
We had dinner Friday night - as we have many times - at Vinny's to fuel up for the race the next morning. It was the first of many great times during the trip that she was able to share some things with me that were on her heart.
Staying in downtown where we did, it was much easier to get to the race site – just outside of E. C. Glass High School – on Saturday morning.
We work so much in planning on what our desired outcome is – during vacation and other things - and work backwards.
We left the hotel, as planned, by 6:45 a.m. and were parked no more than 10-12 minutes later. No stress at all.
We walked to where a lot of the pre-race festivities and the start/finish line was. We spent about 30 minutes in the area, just relaxing and getting ready to run. We saw Dr. David Horton, noted ultrarunner and Liberty University professor, but it was hard to catch him once we noticed where he was as he was continually moving on a bike. (Presuming he performed some type of escort duties during the race.)
Our only goal was for Waverly to be able to see her roommate and RA partner, Natalie, from last year and we succeeded. I was able to meet her parents, we all took a few pictures and then we made our way to the starting queue.
My plan was to stay as close to her as I could for as long as I can, but I knew that Saturday was going to be her day.
We ran together all the way to the bottom of Farm Basket Hill before she was able to charge back up the other side faster than me.
On the way there, we ran up behind one of Waverly’s professors in the School of Education, Kristina Dewitt. I encouraged her to say “Hi!” She did and it was a great exchange as her professor recognized her and returned the acknowledgement.
I saw Waverly ahead of me periodically throughout the first five miles of the race. There’s one pretty steep, but short hill right before the mile 5 marker. She went through it about a minute faster than I did and that is the last that I saw of her.
Her chip time was 53:17 and mine was 54:12.
Then she put a two minute and six second spanking on me by going 53:45 on the return trip to the finish line.
She finished in 1:47:02 – four minutes faster than last year (1:51:01) and the year before (1:51:32).
I posted a time of 1:50:03 after showings of 1:51:00 and 1:51:33 the previous two years. I’ll take it.
All in all, I ended up running pretty consistently until the last two miles, which both have a lot of uphill. Here are my splits:
Mile 1 -- 10:13.01
Mile 2 -- 11:15.98
Mile 3 -- 11:03.14
Mile 4 -- 10:43.94
Mile 5 -- 10:56.06
Mile 6 -- 11:06.97
Mile 7 -- 11:03.40
Mile 8 -- 10:40.46
Mile 9 -- 11:30.96
Mile 10 -- 11:29.84
Not a lot of variability, but just wishing I could have shaved six to 12 seconds off per mile!
We got away from the race site fairly quickly, went back to the hotel, cleaned up and then walked down Main Street to our favorite breakfast location, Market at Main.
It was pretty busy, as we’ve come to expect any more, especially later in the morning.
A little bit more rest was in order for Waverly before I dropped her off at her dorm so she could help work with one of their Brother dorms to do a tailgate for the Liberty-Jacksonville State football game.
I went back to the hotel for a little while and then came back, walked over to the main campus, watched the drum corps, Sparky (Liberty’s mascot) and the cheerleaders lead the football players up to Williams Stadium after they got off the buses and then went back.
I got to see another one of Waverly’s best friends, Lindsay, and also met her roommate, Ellie.
The most interesting part of it all was that one of Waverly’s friends’ parents were from Pennsylvania, but I think that they currently live in North Carolina.
The father had a Pirates hat on and they brought a Steelers bean bag toss set for some of the students to play games on. Waverly asked the Mom where in Pennsylvania they were from. She replied, “I’m originally from the Philadelphia area and my husband is from central Pennsylvania.”
We hear that a lot and the first question in return was, “Where in central Pennsylvania?”
She said, “Tyrone.” We were both floored.
It, of course, is where I’m from and both my Mom and Dad graduated from high school.
It was some great and interesting conversation!
We walked some things back to her dorm – a decent bit away – and then back to the area where the tailgate was had and my rental car was parked and then we went on to the Stadium for the football game.
We sat in the student section, straight up from the 50-yard line after some of the students from their Brother dorm saved some seats. I got to meet one of the student leaders for her Hall, Emily.
Liberty had its hat handed to them by Jacksonville State, were down 27-3 at the half and we left for ice cream from Mr. Goodie’s on Timberlake Drive in Lynchburg. Definitely much more palatable.
We attended the 8:30 a.m. worship service at Blue Ridge Community Church in New London, Virginia (or Forest).
It was the first in a Series of messages over the next eight weeks about Joshua that relates to their decision as a church to establish another campus in the nearby community of Bedford, which is down Highway 29 towards Roanoke.
We saw a friend of Waverly’s, Grace and her fiancé, Drake.
During our 2015 summer vacation, we were driving towards East Lansing, Michigan as I wanted to see the stadium where the Spartans played. Waverly had Facebook open and realized that Grace was close, at a place where you gather as a group and paint.
We stopped by, surprising Grace and her Mom that day. It was just something that you do when you have the opportunity.
As we talked, Grace said that day was when her Mom really realized the quality of people that Liberty University attracted to its school. I think we’re safe to say that we were both floored with that.
Neither Waverly nor I do things with those thoughts in mind. We just do what we believe to be right towards other people in light of what we’ve learned from God’s teachings.
It was really good to visit with them both. I learned that Drake was an aviation major and was looking to get a job after graduation in Michigan doing mechanics in the commercial airline business.
After church was over, we went back to Market At Main for breakfast again before it was time for me to head back to Reagan National to fly home.
It is funny, in a way, as I’ve told parents that leaving your children gets easier after that first year.
I may have to revise and amend my remarks because it was very hard for me to leave yesterday, for a multitude of reasons.
First of all, it is a season of change for Waverly.
She’s finishing up her classwork and she’s got some big decisions to make in the months to come. I know that she is prayerfully seeking God’s perfect will in her life, which is something that I’m praying for her as well.
Liberty University has provided her a safe environment to broaden herself, which I think she has done incredibly well. She has made some friends to compliment and support her that I’m inclined to believe that she’ll have for quite some time.
She’s been able to grow in her faith.
She’s got an incredible heart for people, especially children. I think she’ll make a great teacher and educator and I believe that she’ll connect incredibly well with them in the months and years to come.
She really makes parenting easy and I love being able to be supportive of her.
I like to think that one of the things that I’ve been able to help her with is to think ahead in the things that she does today.
For example, I noticed that there was a Graduate School Fair on campus on Tuesday, September 27. I recommended that if her schedule allowed for her to attend it to just simply to gather some information about the processes.
Her current plan is to go teach for awhile and then go back to school to get an advanced degree, but I advised her that things can always change and that God may lead her in a different direction. Just by getting some exposure now to how pursuing Graduate School may be and how to apply and get it may be a benefit to her later on.
She’s truly a fortunate young woman in that she knows a vast number of people as well as many, many of my friends in the running community that I have who are teachers that can answer her questions and help guide her.
So, yes, I cried a bit, but they are tears of pride in seeing – and wanting for – her to continue to do well.
Meanwhile, I had a fun time of travel home.
I get to Reagan National at about 3:45 p.m. – after leaving Lynchburg at noon. And this was without getting on Interstate 95 going north. By 4 p.m., I was checked in and ready to go through TSA.
My flight was scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. departure. Well, two delays pushed it back to close to 9 p.m.
I had called my parents, who were picking me, and notified them of the delays.
So I had dinner and then went to work at a gate away from where my flight departed. About 8:15 p.m., I went to gate 16 to be ready to board soon and I saw people lined up working with the gate agents.
The flight had been cancelled. I would learn later that the flight crew incoming had timed out due to weather delays in Houston.
On my phone was a text message that my flight from Newark would depart at 11:48 p.m. So they had already worked to get me on another flight to make it home.
I looked, realized that there was a flight from DCA to Newark (EWR) and I went to that gate. I was able to get a boarding pass for that flight, but not for the EWR-IAH connection.
I actually went back to the original gate, but the line was such that I might have missed the DCA-EWR flight.
We boarded and got in the air about 10-15 minutes later than the boarding pass indicated, but made it in plenty of time to make the connection. Sort of.
As soon as I got off the plane, there was a Customer Service counter to the left that was still open in Terminal A. I spoke with a representative, explained to him the craziness that was going on and got my boarding pass for the EWR-IAH leg. Even though it was a middle seat, I was thankful to have it – 11B.
Then we had to take a bus to Terminal C. Once I got there, and with a clock ticking towards an 11:48 p.m. departure, anxiety started to get a little high as there didn’t seem to be a sense of urgency about getting eight of us to the other terminal.
Things finally happened and once to Terminal C, we quickly realized that we wouldn’t be leaving soon.
At some point in time, we boarded and I think we left at around 12:30 a.m. Eastern time. I say “I think” because I was out after a little bit.
We landed around 1:30 a.m., but the bags didn’t come until a little after 2 a.m. And then mine didn’t make it, even though others from the DCA-EWR-IAH did. I was told that it might have been a weight issue, which makes sense, but I wish they just would have told me so that I wouldn’t have wasted about 45 minutes.
I got home and got in bed around 3 a.m. Monday morning, but it was all worth it for the time I got to spend with Waverly.
I’m a very fortunate father.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Calming A Fearful Heart; August 30, 2016
As a requirement for one of Waverly's classes this fall, it was recommended that she join a Christian educator's professional organization.
From that membership, she receives a periodic publication.
It came in the mail this past week here at the house in Spring.
It is the organization's "Back to School" issue and its cover topic is "Fearless."
Thumbing through it, I presume that there might be a regular column called "The Heart Dimension".
The writer's heading is "A Fearful Heart".
I'm no Elijah. That's for sure. Whether it be by comparison of Elijah's walk with Christ to mine or what all he suffered.
The writer, Vernard T. Gant, wrote that Elijah "went from talking about God on a mountain top to hiding in a cave."
Gant wrote that God didn't give up on Elijah and that He "gently whispered encouragement in the middle of that cave."
He said that it "allowed Elijah to overcome his fear" and regain "his passion for God's purposes."
The author uses Psalm 46:10 to illustrate that we should "be still, and know that I am God."
And then he follows with Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
Mid-day, I had a call from the recruiter that is working with the company that is looking at flying me out the week after next to interview with them.
There was something that he needed for me to do, but I interpret this all as God showing me a potential way to go.
Again, as I shared earlier, we have to be willing to move and take action, ask God to lead us and trust that leading.
Tomorrow is the last day at the client that I've been at since July 2012.
I got a couple of items updated today, had another training session with somebody that would be doing some data analysis that I've done weekly for them since January 2015 and prepared for Wednesday.
There's some sadness there because I've had the opportunity to work in a world-class institution that has its challenges, but also has some very talented people.
And while there's nervousness because I don't know what completely lies ahead from the company that I'm currently employed by, I have things revealed to me that calms my fearful heart.
Like the Ryan Stevenson song, "Eye of The Storm", says, "I did my best ... My only hope is to trust You, I trust you Lord."
From that membership, she receives a periodic publication.
It came in the mail this past week here at the house in Spring.
It is the organization's "Back to School" issue and its cover topic is "Fearless."
Thumbing through it, I presume that there might be a regular column called "The Heart Dimension".
The writer's heading is "A Fearful Heart".
I'm no Elijah. That's for sure. Whether it be by comparison of Elijah's walk with Christ to mine or what all he suffered.
The writer, Vernard T. Gant, wrote that Elijah "went from talking about God on a mountain top to hiding in a cave."
Gant wrote that God didn't give up on Elijah and that He "gently whispered encouragement in the middle of that cave."
He said that it "allowed Elijah to overcome his fear" and regain "his passion for God's purposes."
The author uses Psalm 46:10 to illustrate that we should "be still, and know that I am God."
And then he follows with Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
Mid-day, I had a call from the recruiter that is working with the company that is looking at flying me out the week after next to interview with them.
There was something that he needed for me to do, but I interpret this all as God showing me a potential way to go.
Again, as I shared earlier, we have to be willing to move and take action, ask God to lead us and trust that leading.
Tomorrow is the last day at the client that I've been at since July 2012.
I got a couple of items updated today, had another training session with somebody that would be doing some data analysis that I've done weekly for them since January 2015 and prepared for Wednesday.
There's some sadness there because I've had the opportunity to work in a world-class institution that has its challenges, but also has some very talented people.
And while there's nervousness because I don't know what completely lies ahead from the company that I'm currently employed by, I have things revealed to me that calms my fearful heart.
Like the Ryan Stevenson song, "Eye of The Storm", says, "I did my best ... My only hope is to trust You, I trust you Lord."
Monday, August 29, 2016
Vermont Road Trip Report; August 28, 2016
Delayed flight out of IAH (which is becoming quite common, by the way, for United) and traffic coming through the Ted Williams Tunnel (down to one lane) put me at the Hampton Inn in Greenfield, Massachusetts at about 12:20 a.m. this morning.
I still got a solid night's sleep after getting a little shut-eye on the plane ride into Boston.
Out the door a little behind schedule and on the road by 7:50 a.m. to be able to drive into Vermont and make it to the race site - Whitingham, Vermont (the birthplace of Brigham Young) - by about 8:30 a.m.
As I made the drive off the road to the dam, you would have thought that they might have had to pump sunlight back in there. :-)
Interestingly, the Harriman Dam, which we ran over and back at the beginning and the end of the race, was the largest earthen dam in the world at the completion of its construction in 1923. The adjacent Glory Hole, which water runs down inside of to generate electricity, was not part of the course (but I parked right above it along the road and could see right down in it.)
The Best Dam Run and Walk in Vermont was produced by The Deerfield Valley Community Cares fund, which helps people with their heating expenses. (I can only imagine what the winters are like up here.)
Volunteers with the local Deerfield Valley Rotary Club were very friendly.
I had bib #51 and I'm not sure that there were any more runners than that.
The description of the out-and-back race course was pretty spot on: "The trail through the woods is well marked and relatively flat, so it is suitable to all types of runners and walkers."
But for Vermonters, it is relatively flat.
For flatlander Houstonians, it had a little character, especially in the middle, and some rocky spots.
And for the most part, it was really shaded, even though it got a little warm at the end (what else is new though after running for more than two hours in a summer month).
I was hoping for two hours, 30 minutes since I hadn't run 13 miles since mid-June in Michigan and not a lick since I left Lynchburg after Waverly and I ran a 10K one day and then 40 minutes the next.
My watch shows 2:46:20. It is another state, though.
I talked to a couple of people while running the course. One of them was an emergency medicine doctor who was pregnant. Ran with her for most of the first four miles and she was right there with me at the turnaround as well as another woman who I found out later was doing her first half.
I have two more half marathons in (Pocatello) Idaho and (Ventura) California the next two weeks to get ready for the Virginia Ten Miler, which will be two weeks after that.
Mile 1 - 11:39.44
Mile 2 - 11:22.40
Mile 3 - 12:23.68
Mile 4 - 15:17.53 (where most of the character of the course was seen)
Mile 5 - 12:14.71
Mile 6 - 12:08.57
Mile 6-6.55 - 5:24.67 (not sure if this was right given how I had been running)
Mile 6.55-9 - 31:46.51 (which would have been 37:11.18 for three miles.)
Mile 10 - 14:34.67 (more of the character and a water stop)
Mile 11 - 14:03.37 (some cramping in the calves)
Mile 12 - 12:59.15
Last 1.1 - 12:25.61
It was a beautiful day. The people that I spoke to were super friendly. You couldn't have asked for a better race environment at a small race.
I drove over to Brattleboro and up Interstates 91 and 89 to beyond Montpelier and Barre to go north here to Stowe, Vermont for tomorrow's race up to the highest spot in Vermont.
Should be fun. :-)
When I travel, I usually stay at either a Marriott or Hilton property. Hotels in these parts during the summer are a little pricey – as I learned that Stowe has become as popular of a summer location as it is for its skiing in the winter time -- and I wanted to be able to clean up immediately after the race before I started the jaunt back to Logan Airport in Boston.
I stayed at a place called the Stowe Motel & Snowdrift. It was two different properties that came together awhile back under one owner. These were almost like small apartments as opposed to hotel rooms. My unit was clean, comfortable, had air conditioning and hot water. Pretty much meets my minimum qualifications.
After getting a really good bite to eat at this place called Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge, instead of putzing around the small town, I got to bed early – like at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
I needed it. I got up at 6 a.m., but didn’t get out of the hotel until about 7:30 a.m.
I had scoped out the distance to the race site was about 10 minutes up Mountain Road, but the one thing that I didn’t gauge real well is that like where we live where there’s a convenience store every place you look – the one that there was – a family location – didn’t appear to be open.
I had grabbed a roll at the continental breakfast – and am glad that I had something in me, but I didn’t get a chance to eat it until about 8:30 a.m. before a 9:00 a.m. start.
The parking lot was “roughly ¼ mile” the directions said from the start and where packet pickup was.
Roughly, meaning that it was likely more than that. I’d gather closer to a half mile and it was a long, steady incline along the road. So up it twice and down once before the start.
The bib numbers went up to 500, I saw, and there was a mountain bike race that started at 10 a.m.
It was 4.3 miles to the top of Mount Mansfield and you had to get yourself back down – on foot.
I was thinking – and hoping – that it would take me a little more than an hour, but as we got into it – and it started to warm up, I realized that that projection was going to go by the wayside.
I think if I didn’t have to worry about getting back to Logan that evening and back here to Houston that I would have stayed and made it to the top; however, I was really fatigued.
I was never short of breath, but I stopped a number of times to just bend over, put my hands on my knees and breathe.
Mile 1 – 17:46.59
Mile 2 – 18:58.09
Mile 3 – 23:39.42 (this included stopping short, going down a little bit and then coming back to get to the marker and then calling it a day.)
Had I gone on, I would have been rushing everything the rest of the day. The stress from all of that just wasn’t worth it. I made my way back down the three miles.
People were very forgiving. One guy said that it was six more miles of work than a lot of people would do that day. But, honestly, I could really care less about what other people think.
I like to think I can do anything, whether or not I’m prepared for it.
I think that comes out of doing some of the other crazy stuff that I’ve done, including the Leadville Heavy Half, which was about the same gain in elevation but starting at 10,200 feet above sea level. The bending over there was from the altitude.
I just thought it would be cool to do. And it still was a good idea.
The drive back was fairly uneventful. Although you get a little nervous when traffic backs up 40 miles out from the airport, which is just outside of downtown Boston, despite being in that spot four hours before your flight leaves.
Not sure how people live up there. It just seems so much denser than even here in Houston with all the growth the past 15 years.
Once at the airport, the best part of anything: my weekly Sunday call with Waverly.
She shared with me the highlights and the challenges of the week. I’m so proud of her and excited for her and all she gets to experience. I do my best to encourage her to do as much as she can handle. I also know that she’s my very best supporter. Our relationship is truly unique. She still seeks my guidance as her earthly father, but we’re very good friends too.
So in closing the recap of the weekend, I’m writing here at home (and I won’t be able to post this until I get to the office in the morning), but the two devotionals that I’m in talk about the following:
“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored.” – Job 22:23.
John Hillman, a longtime friend of mine, wrote, “God assures us, too, that if we do wrong we can return to Him. If we repent, ask His forgiveness, and concentrate on following His word, we will be restored.”
In some parts of my life, I’m doing that so it was an encouragement to read late Sunday evening as I get ready to go to bed. We all learn this as young children in Sunday School, but we’re discouraged from the rough times in life where we try to go it on our own that it really isn’t real.
I know when I sin I fear being separated from God forever.
The other devotional is Tony Dungy’s “Uncommon Life” and for August 28, his verse selected was:
“Choose today whom you will serve … As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15.
Two really good paragraphs follow that speak a lot of truth to my situation currently. Dungy wrote:
“Simply put, when times are good, when we’re flush with cash, or when our careers are going well, it’s easy to realize and embrace the truth that we are called to serve God and not things. But what about when times are tight? Who gets top priority then?”
“What about when you’ve just lost your job and you don’t know which way to turn, and when you’re sitting down to update your resume, your younger daughter asks for help with some homework? What’s more important? How about when you’ve been offered the opportunity you’ve been waiting for – a job with a big advancement and a larger salary – but it requires moving to another state just as your son begins his senior year in high school? Not an easy call. “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord?” Right? Easy?”
There’s been a lot of focus lately. Trying to discern God and what my next steps should be.
I’m sorrowful to an extent that I haven’t done it more fully in my life and I want to strive to do it continually from here on out, not knowing how much longer God will allow me to live.
It wasn’t like I was intense or anything, but there was one time while running back from the turnaround to the finish on Saturday that I literally reached up to make sure my glasses were still on because it was as if I couldn’t feel them on my face. I’ve never felt anything like that before, but it was a feeling of transcendence.
While I currently don’t want to disappoint God, I also want to be honorable to all of those who are praying for me in this time period of my life. Why ask for people’s help and be unwilling to do your part as part of the entire process? That’s being lazy and unthankful.
So I’ll try to do continue to do my best as well as I can each day.
I still got a solid night's sleep after getting a little shut-eye on the plane ride into Boston.
Out the door a little behind schedule and on the road by 7:50 a.m. to be able to drive into Vermont and make it to the race site - Whitingham, Vermont (the birthplace of Brigham Young) - by about 8:30 a.m.
As I made the drive off the road to the dam, you would have thought that they might have had to pump sunlight back in there. :-)
Interestingly, the Harriman Dam, which we ran over and back at the beginning and the end of the race, was the largest earthen dam in the world at the completion of its construction in 1923. The adjacent Glory Hole, which water runs down inside of to generate electricity, was not part of the course (but I parked right above it along the road and could see right down in it.)
The Best Dam Run and Walk in Vermont was produced by The Deerfield Valley Community Cares fund, which helps people with their heating expenses. (I can only imagine what the winters are like up here.)
Volunteers with the local Deerfield Valley Rotary Club were very friendly.
I had bib #51 and I'm not sure that there were any more runners than that.
The description of the out-and-back race course was pretty spot on: "The trail through the woods is well marked and relatively flat, so it is suitable to all types of runners and walkers."
But for Vermonters, it is relatively flat.
For flatlander Houstonians, it had a little character, especially in the middle, and some rocky spots.
And for the most part, it was really shaded, even though it got a little warm at the end (what else is new though after running for more than two hours in a summer month).
I was hoping for two hours, 30 minutes since I hadn't run 13 miles since mid-June in Michigan and not a lick since I left Lynchburg after Waverly and I ran a 10K one day and then 40 minutes the next.
My watch shows 2:46:20. It is another state, though.
I talked to a couple of people while running the course. One of them was an emergency medicine doctor who was pregnant. Ran with her for most of the first four miles and she was right there with me at the turnaround as well as another woman who I found out later was doing her first half.
I have two more half marathons in (Pocatello) Idaho and (Ventura) California the next two weeks to get ready for the Virginia Ten Miler, which will be two weeks after that.
Mile 1 - 11:39.44
Mile 2 - 11:22.40
Mile 3 - 12:23.68
Mile 4 - 15:17.53 (where most of the character of the course was seen)
Mile 5 - 12:14.71
Mile 6 - 12:08.57
Mile 6-6.55 - 5:24.67 (not sure if this was right given how I had been running)
Mile 6.55-9 - 31:46.51 (which would have been 37:11.18 for three miles.)
Mile 10 - 14:34.67 (more of the character and a water stop)
Mile 11 - 14:03.37 (some cramping in the calves)
Mile 12 - 12:59.15
Last 1.1 - 12:25.61
It was a beautiful day. The people that I spoke to were super friendly. You couldn't have asked for a better race environment at a small race.
I drove over to Brattleboro and up Interstates 91 and 89 to beyond Montpelier and Barre to go north here to Stowe, Vermont for tomorrow's race up to the highest spot in Vermont.
Should be fun. :-)
When I travel, I usually stay at either a Marriott or Hilton property. Hotels in these parts during the summer are a little pricey – as I learned that Stowe has become as popular of a summer location as it is for its skiing in the winter time -- and I wanted to be able to clean up immediately after the race before I started the jaunt back to Logan Airport in Boston.
I stayed at a place called the Stowe Motel & Snowdrift. It was two different properties that came together awhile back under one owner. These were almost like small apartments as opposed to hotel rooms. My unit was clean, comfortable, had air conditioning and hot water. Pretty much meets my minimum qualifications.
After getting a really good bite to eat at this place called Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge, instead of putzing around the small town, I got to bed early – like at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
I needed it. I got up at 6 a.m., but didn’t get out of the hotel until about 7:30 a.m.
I had scoped out the distance to the race site was about 10 minutes up Mountain Road, but the one thing that I didn’t gauge real well is that like where we live where there’s a convenience store every place you look – the one that there was – a family location – didn’t appear to be open.
I had grabbed a roll at the continental breakfast – and am glad that I had something in me, but I didn’t get a chance to eat it until about 8:30 a.m. before a 9:00 a.m. start.
The parking lot was “roughly ¼ mile” the directions said from the start and where packet pickup was.
Roughly, meaning that it was likely more than that. I’d gather closer to a half mile and it was a long, steady incline along the road. So up it twice and down once before the start.
The bib numbers went up to 500, I saw, and there was a mountain bike race that started at 10 a.m.
It was 4.3 miles to the top of Mount Mansfield and you had to get yourself back down – on foot.
I was thinking – and hoping – that it would take me a little more than an hour, but as we got into it – and it started to warm up, I realized that that projection was going to go by the wayside.
I think if I didn’t have to worry about getting back to Logan that evening and back here to Houston that I would have stayed and made it to the top; however, I was really fatigued.
I was never short of breath, but I stopped a number of times to just bend over, put my hands on my knees and breathe.
Mile 1 – 17:46.59
Mile 2 – 18:58.09
Mile 3 – 23:39.42 (this included stopping short, going down a little bit and then coming back to get to the marker and then calling it a day.)
Had I gone on, I would have been rushing everything the rest of the day. The stress from all of that just wasn’t worth it. I made my way back down the three miles.
People were very forgiving. One guy said that it was six more miles of work than a lot of people would do that day. But, honestly, I could really care less about what other people think.
I like to think I can do anything, whether or not I’m prepared for it.
I think that comes out of doing some of the other crazy stuff that I’ve done, including the Leadville Heavy Half, which was about the same gain in elevation but starting at 10,200 feet above sea level. The bending over there was from the altitude.
I just thought it would be cool to do. And it still was a good idea.
The drive back was fairly uneventful. Although you get a little nervous when traffic backs up 40 miles out from the airport, which is just outside of downtown Boston, despite being in that spot four hours before your flight leaves.
Not sure how people live up there. It just seems so much denser than even here in Houston with all the growth the past 15 years.
Once at the airport, the best part of anything: my weekly Sunday call with Waverly.
She shared with me the highlights and the challenges of the week. I’m so proud of her and excited for her and all she gets to experience. I do my best to encourage her to do as much as she can handle. I also know that she’s my very best supporter. Our relationship is truly unique. She still seeks my guidance as her earthly father, but we’re very good friends too.
So in closing the recap of the weekend, I’m writing here at home (and I won’t be able to post this until I get to the office in the morning), but the two devotionals that I’m in talk about the following:
“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored.” – Job 22:23.
John Hillman, a longtime friend of mine, wrote, “God assures us, too, that if we do wrong we can return to Him. If we repent, ask His forgiveness, and concentrate on following His word, we will be restored.”
In some parts of my life, I’m doing that so it was an encouragement to read late Sunday evening as I get ready to go to bed. We all learn this as young children in Sunday School, but we’re discouraged from the rough times in life where we try to go it on our own that it really isn’t real.
I know when I sin I fear being separated from God forever.
The other devotional is Tony Dungy’s “Uncommon Life” and for August 28, his verse selected was:
“Choose today whom you will serve … As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15.
Two really good paragraphs follow that speak a lot of truth to my situation currently. Dungy wrote:
“Simply put, when times are good, when we’re flush with cash, or when our careers are going well, it’s easy to realize and embrace the truth that we are called to serve God and not things. But what about when times are tight? Who gets top priority then?”
“What about when you’ve just lost your job and you don’t know which way to turn, and when you’re sitting down to update your resume, your younger daughter asks for help with some homework? What’s more important? How about when you’ve been offered the opportunity you’ve been waiting for – a job with a big advancement and a larger salary – but it requires moving to another state just as your son begins his senior year in high school? Not an easy call. “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord?” Right? Easy?”
There’s been a lot of focus lately. Trying to discern God and what my next steps should be.
I’m sorrowful to an extent that I haven’t done it more fully in my life and I want to strive to do it continually from here on out, not knowing how much longer God will allow me to live.
It wasn’t like I was intense or anything, but there was one time while running back from the turnaround to the finish on Saturday that I literally reached up to make sure my glasses were still on because it was as if I couldn’t feel them on my face. I’ve never felt anything like that before, but it was a feeling of transcendence.
While I currently don’t want to disappoint God, I also want to be honorable to all of those who are praying for me in this time period of my life. Why ask for people’s help and be unwilling to do your part as part of the entire process? That’s being lazy and unthankful.
So I’ll try to do continue to do my best as well as I can each day.
Friday, August 26, 2016
On The Way To Vermont; August 26, 2016
I'm headed to Boston this afternoon. There's two races that I'll be running this weekend in Vermont.
The first on Saturday will be a half marathon in my 44th state and a race in my 49th state. Rhode Island is left there.
This is one of four trips that I had planned before I received word of a potential separation from my current employer.
Even though I've paid for these (meaning airfare and race entries went on a credit card and that amount immediately went off of my card), I considered not going to all but the last one - which is a trip to Lynchburg to run and see Waverly - to be fiscally prudent.
However, I countered that I need to go to maintain the proper emotional balance in this season of change.
These two paragraphs were part of Max Lucado's daily e-mail today titled, "Your Sermon":
If Jesus heals you instantly, praise him. If you are still waiting for healing, trust him. Your suffering is your sermon.
God will use your struggle to change others. God can use your suffering as your sermon!
Let's be real. The things that I'm dealing with isn't suffering by any means, but can be considered a trial.
While I'm nervous (and in some cases, scared), I just have to keep coming back over and over and trust God in all of this.
On Wednesday, I received word that my application to make another attempt to pursue my Bachelor's at a school was denied.
In that e-mail, though, there was an instruction of what may cause that university to reconsider their decision.
I talked to Waverly that night. We had a great conversation like we usually do. And she has shared with me that she and her leadership team at school are praying for me through this. (I know others are too; therefore, I don't want to let anybody out as I'm mindful to give credit.)
We talked that while we trust God to lead and guide us we still have to be willing to move. Not relocating, mind you, but to take action while we're waiting and to trust him.
That evening I wrote a letter to request readmission to the last school that I was at and since time was an issue with the plan that I was pursuing, I hand-delivered it the next morning to the Dean's office of the college of that university that I was in 23 years ago.
I then sent a letter of appeal to the denying university.
And at that point, it is completely out of my hands. I can't do anything more, but let processes take their course.
Today was the last full week at the customer site. I was in early so that I could get my 40 billable hours in for the week and to be able to leave in time to execute my weekend plan.
While looking at patient accounts, I prayed simply for God to continue to help me as I wait for feedback from multiple entities.
Within a half hour, I had an appointment request from somebody at my customer site to talk with them as they promised they would. That's now set for Monday.
The recruiter that I'm working with on one position e-mailed me and said that the one company wants to fly me in the week of September 12 to interview with the team that I would be potentially joining.
And upon sharing that information with my Dad (and copying Waverly), she relayed me some information from the university that explained the processes that took place relating to the denial.
Now don't just think that God always just answers when we need Him to, but to me I took it as a sign to say, "Keep trusting Me."
Also in this same time frame, I received word that another recruiter that I was talking to said that one hospital that they pitched me to wouldn't budge on their degree requirement.
They felt that I was a perfect fit for the position, but I get it. It’s that hospital's loss.
I’ll just keep applying until somebody accepts me, right? :-)
As I was writing this in the airport, a long-time friend – like close to 35 years kind of friend from where many of us went to church together – walked by the gate (C33) that I was working at.
But you know how those things go, you weren’t really sure if it was them or not.
I had Facebook opened up. She had in the last six months friended me. Maybe even shorter than that. I asked her if she was in the airport – she’s a flight attendant – and if she had just come in through C29-C33. She said, “Yes.”
She came back to the gate that I was at and we enjoyed a good 15-20 minute conversation.
She and her sister have been very good friends with me and my late sister. I think that her sister and I and she and my sister were the ones that were closer to one another given our age differences.
My sister and I were a little more than five years apart and she and her sister I think were closer in age – maybe only three years apart.
Nonetheless, it was really good to see and talk with her. I hadn’t seen her since my sister’s memorial service. We really appreciated her family all being there to support ours.
In closing, as we approach Boston as I think that we’re about 45-60 minutes from landing, we’re being treated to a beautiful sunset back over our left shoulder.
It looks like we’re flying just south of the Great Lakes as I can’t think of another large body of water that we’d be going by to the north of us as we’re going west to east.
Maybe somebody will enlighten me of another possibility. :-)
Again, to those reading and praying, thank you. And have a great weekend.
The first on Saturday will be a half marathon in my 44th state and a race in my 49th state. Rhode Island is left there.
This is one of four trips that I had planned before I received word of a potential separation from my current employer.
Even though I've paid for these (meaning airfare and race entries went on a credit card and that amount immediately went off of my card), I considered not going to all but the last one - which is a trip to Lynchburg to run and see Waverly - to be fiscally prudent.
However, I countered that I need to go to maintain the proper emotional balance in this season of change.
These two paragraphs were part of Max Lucado's daily e-mail today titled, "Your Sermon":
If Jesus heals you instantly, praise him. If you are still waiting for healing, trust him. Your suffering is your sermon.
God will use your struggle to change others. God can use your suffering as your sermon!
Let's be real. The things that I'm dealing with isn't suffering by any means, but can be considered a trial.
While I'm nervous (and in some cases, scared), I just have to keep coming back over and over and trust God in all of this.
On Wednesday, I received word that my application to make another attempt to pursue my Bachelor's at a school was denied.
In that e-mail, though, there was an instruction of what may cause that university to reconsider their decision.
I talked to Waverly that night. We had a great conversation like we usually do. And she has shared with me that she and her leadership team at school are praying for me through this. (I know others are too; therefore, I don't want to let anybody out as I'm mindful to give credit.)
We talked that while we trust God to lead and guide us we still have to be willing to move. Not relocating, mind you, but to take action while we're waiting and to trust him.
That evening I wrote a letter to request readmission to the last school that I was at and since time was an issue with the plan that I was pursuing, I hand-delivered it the next morning to the Dean's office of the college of that university that I was in 23 years ago.
I then sent a letter of appeal to the denying university.
And at that point, it is completely out of my hands. I can't do anything more, but let processes take their course.
Today was the last full week at the customer site. I was in early so that I could get my 40 billable hours in for the week and to be able to leave in time to execute my weekend plan.
While looking at patient accounts, I prayed simply for God to continue to help me as I wait for feedback from multiple entities.
Within a half hour, I had an appointment request from somebody at my customer site to talk with them as they promised they would. That's now set for Monday.
The recruiter that I'm working with on one position e-mailed me and said that the one company wants to fly me in the week of September 12 to interview with the team that I would be potentially joining.
And upon sharing that information with my Dad (and copying Waverly), she relayed me some information from the university that explained the processes that took place relating to the denial.
Now don't just think that God always just answers when we need Him to, but to me I took it as a sign to say, "Keep trusting Me."
Also in this same time frame, I received word that another recruiter that I was talking to said that one hospital that they pitched me to wouldn't budge on their degree requirement.
They felt that I was a perfect fit for the position, but I get it. It’s that hospital's loss.
I’ll just keep applying until somebody accepts me, right? :-)
As I was writing this in the airport, a long-time friend – like close to 35 years kind of friend from where many of us went to church together – walked by the gate (C33) that I was working at.
But you know how those things go, you weren’t really sure if it was them or not.
I had Facebook opened up. She had in the last six months friended me. Maybe even shorter than that. I asked her if she was in the airport – she’s a flight attendant – and if she had just come in through C29-C33. She said, “Yes.”
She came back to the gate that I was at and we enjoyed a good 15-20 minute conversation.
She and her sister have been very good friends with me and my late sister. I think that her sister and I and she and my sister were the ones that were closer to one another given our age differences.
My sister and I were a little more than five years apart and she and her sister I think were closer in age – maybe only three years apart.
Nonetheless, it was really good to see and talk with her. I hadn’t seen her since my sister’s memorial service. We really appreciated her family all being there to support ours.
In closing, as we approach Boston as I think that we’re about 45-60 minutes from landing, we’re being treated to a beautiful sunset back over our left shoulder.
It looks like we’re flying just south of the Great Lakes as I can’t think of another large body of water that we’d be going by to the north of us as we’re going west to east.
Maybe somebody will enlighten me of another possibility. :-)
Again, to those reading and praying, thank you. And have a great weekend.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Trust and Be Thankful; August 23, 2016
This season of life is a challenge to stay positive, but it takes a lot of reminding myself that I've been in it a few times and have come through it OK.
I have a couple of devotionals that I'm doing my best to invest some time in on a regular basis and even that has been tought to focus on sticking with.
Not that I'm discouraged. It is just tough to stay patient when you feel as if you have a clock ticking down against you.
From Tony Dungy's "Uncommon Life" devotional today, it says the following:
"Proverbs 23:7 says, "As [a man] thinketh, so is he" (KJV). That Scripture is true in so many ways and settings. The glass is half empty or the glass is half full. In any given set of circumstances we face, our own view of them will determine and direct our response. Our thinking will illuminate what we feel inside -- worry and despair or confidence and hope."
He finishes the entry up with an UNCOMMON KEY > "Thoughts lead to values of the heart, which lead to character and hope. Guard your thoughts."
The only thing that I know to do with the project that I'm on, which wraps up next Wednesday, is to finish it out strong.
When I was willfully changing jobs in the late 1990s, I was in the second week of a two-week notice and I think I traveled to six or seven hospitals in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the Beaumont area and Corpus Christi. The last stop was Corpus and I remember staying in the office late and getting home close to midnight.
It is what my Dad taught me about being professional.
I'm doing my best to put my trust in God through this job situation. Some moments, it wavers and of course, that is when I worry.
To maintain excellent mental health, I have to stay focused on God.
The bottom line, though, is that I need something to do.
I know that the online university acknowledged today that they now have all of my transcripts and are finally evaluating. Perhaps I can get some classes started this fall and that will take up a lot of my focus outside of work.
The one individual that I was supposed to talk to on Monday saw me today and apologized for being busy and assured me that we would speak this week.
I told them, "I trust you." And I do.
And if it didn't happen, without me trying to push my way in, I would realize that they didn't think that I was a fit (as I don't want a courtesy interview). If you don't think that I have the skills to do the job, tell me and I can live with that.
I've had two organizations reach out at the end of the week before last and for various reasons, I haven't heard back from them. One I had a phone conversation with and the other was a recruiter that I played phone tag with.
The one seems to have discounted me because I was having some technical issues with my laptop and the other because they called when I wasn't at my phone twice. (I returned those calls, left messages and haven't heard from him.)
In both cases, maybe they aren't individuals that I need to be doing business with.
As believers, we understand that we're going to go through trials and tribulations. It doesn't mean that they're going to be easy ones either, but I believe that God wants to see how we handle them - by continuing to trust in Him - to ensure that He can trust us with what He gives us (and ministry to do).
Dungy in the desk calendar from the same material that sits on my desk for today writes, "A Super Bowl win with the Bucs would have been wonderful. I could have used that platform in a tremendous way. But I think my getting fired had an even greater impact. It's easy to be gracious when you're getting carried of the field in celebration. It's more difficult when you're asked to pack up your desk."
For my current customer, I'll do that on Wednesday - not that I have anything there - but that is simply because my contract with them is up.
For my current employer, I don't know when and if a separation will come. I know I received a calendar invite for monthly meetings Friday or yesterday, but that could be just my Partner getting organized and prepared.
I'm ready for whatever comes my way and I've had three weeks to make some things happen.
There's good that has taken place and my prayer is for something good to come out of all of this. If not for me, for anybody who might be watching.
I have so much and at times I'm probably not as thankful as I can be. But I really, really am.
Millions on this Earth have never had any of even the littlest things that I've had. It is something that we should all keep in mind.
I have a couple of devotionals that I'm doing my best to invest some time in on a regular basis and even that has been tought to focus on sticking with.
Not that I'm discouraged. It is just tough to stay patient when you feel as if you have a clock ticking down against you.
From Tony Dungy's "Uncommon Life" devotional today, it says the following:
"Proverbs 23:7 says, "As [a man] thinketh, so is he" (KJV). That Scripture is true in so many ways and settings. The glass is half empty or the glass is half full. In any given set of circumstances we face, our own view of them will determine and direct our response. Our thinking will illuminate what we feel inside -- worry and despair or confidence and hope."
He finishes the entry up with an UNCOMMON KEY > "Thoughts lead to values of the heart, which lead to character and hope. Guard your thoughts."
The only thing that I know to do with the project that I'm on, which wraps up next Wednesday, is to finish it out strong.
When I was willfully changing jobs in the late 1990s, I was in the second week of a two-week notice and I think I traveled to six or seven hospitals in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the Beaumont area and Corpus Christi. The last stop was Corpus and I remember staying in the office late and getting home close to midnight.
It is what my Dad taught me about being professional.
I'm doing my best to put my trust in God through this job situation. Some moments, it wavers and of course, that is when I worry.
To maintain excellent mental health, I have to stay focused on God.
The bottom line, though, is that I need something to do.
I know that the online university acknowledged today that they now have all of my transcripts and are finally evaluating. Perhaps I can get some classes started this fall and that will take up a lot of my focus outside of work.
The one individual that I was supposed to talk to on Monday saw me today and apologized for being busy and assured me that we would speak this week.
I told them, "I trust you." And I do.
And if it didn't happen, without me trying to push my way in, I would realize that they didn't think that I was a fit (as I don't want a courtesy interview). If you don't think that I have the skills to do the job, tell me and I can live with that.
I've had two organizations reach out at the end of the week before last and for various reasons, I haven't heard back from them. One I had a phone conversation with and the other was a recruiter that I played phone tag with.
The one seems to have discounted me because I was having some technical issues with my laptop and the other because they called when I wasn't at my phone twice. (I returned those calls, left messages and haven't heard from him.)
In both cases, maybe they aren't individuals that I need to be doing business with.
As believers, we understand that we're going to go through trials and tribulations. It doesn't mean that they're going to be easy ones either, but I believe that God wants to see how we handle them - by continuing to trust in Him - to ensure that He can trust us with what He gives us (and ministry to do).
Dungy in the desk calendar from the same material that sits on my desk for today writes, "A Super Bowl win with the Bucs would have been wonderful. I could have used that platform in a tremendous way. But I think my getting fired had an even greater impact. It's easy to be gracious when you're getting carried of the field in celebration. It's more difficult when you're asked to pack up your desk."
For my current customer, I'll do that on Wednesday - not that I have anything there - but that is simply because my contract with them is up.
For my current employer, I don't know when and if a separation will come. I know I received a calendar invite for monthly meetings Friday or yesterday, but that could be just my Partner getting organized and prepared.
I'm ready for whatever comes my way and I've had three weeks to make some things happen.
There's good that has taken place and my prayer is for something good to come out of all of this. If not for me, for anybody who might be watching.
I have so much and at times I'm probably not as thankful as I can be. But I really, really am.
Millions on this Earth have never had any of even the littlest things that I've had. It is something that we should all keep in mind.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Wrapping It Up For The Week; August 19, 2016
I posted the following on Facebook today:
I'm convinced that the best thing we can do for others is to encourage and love them as a friend publicly and pray for them privately.
This was after arriving back to my house before going to work this morning -- and after I picked up my transcript from another university that I attended.
That transcript wasn't any better than the last one that I picked up.
However, I came away knowing why it had taken me so long to face those "failures", if you will.
Understand that I admit that I didn't finish the things well that I had started, but if I had been deeply loved and encouraged I believe that I might have succeeded instead of feeling condemned.
I think today that I realized that I hadn't wanted to go back and face that pain that I had from not having anyone firmly in my corner.
I experience some of that today, to some extent; however, I better manage how to deal with it than I did then.
I have an expansive number of friends that I can lean on now if I need to and I certainly appreciate those who have shared their confidence in me.
That's where the post came from today.
My daughter shared with me something from her last year at college that I think has some parallels to me.
She was in a regularly scheduled meeting of fellow resident advisers where she goes to college and she shared some things that she was going through.
She shared with me that some of them were shocked with her admission because they thought she was "all put together".
I think people think that of me too.
And this is something that I've shared with my daughter often. If you see me out and about, I probably come across as very confident and appearing to be on top of things.
If so, it is a result of me just trying to do my best at whatever I'm doing.
I'm not putting anything on or trying to impress anyone, but in reality I might be struggling and hurting. However, I would never want to burden anyone, even though it is contrary to what we're to believe from the Bible.
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
The big verse in the middle there from Galatians 6 is to bear ye another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
A good commentary on it all is here.
It states, "If a Christian brother or sister is weighed down or menaced by some burden or threat, be alert to that and quickly do something to help. Don't let them be crushed. Don't let them be destroyed."
It goes on and says, "Don't increase burdens. Make them lighter for people. Some of you wonder what you are supposed to do with your life. Here is a vocation that will bring you more satisfaction than if you became a millionaire ten times over: Develop the extraordinary skill for detecting the burdens of others and devote yourself daily to making them lighter."
And that's what my post was about: we should encourage and love people publicly, especially if we can spot that they might be heavy-hearted or sad, and then pray for them privately.
On the job front, I spoke with a recruiter about a healthcare consulting opportunity with one of the local systems of hospitals here. I'm supposed to have a follow-up with her peer. The pay is about 75% of what I make now, but I would be able to stay local.
It is a far way from anything happening, but I'm appreciative of the opportunity to share what I know.
I also had an interview with another area at the customer site that I'm at.
It was scheduled for 30 minutes and it ended up going 50 minutes.
There's some things that would be very new for me, but I feel like I can be successful in that role. And it would give me a very broad exposure to a number of different areas in the facilities as well as a number of different applications of a large, nationally-known healthcare information system.
This is something that my one advocate has sold this other area on me.
Again, I'm eternally grateful that I have people who have these confidences in me.
I think I can too, don't get me wrong, but we seem to always have doubts and have to sell others on ourselves it seems.
I'm reading a few different daily devotionals to be closer to God not just through this rough patch, but where I should have been all along.
Two are sports-minded. Well, everything is actually. It is how I relate, right? :-)
They are books written by John and Kathy Hillman from Waco.
The other materials are those from Tony Dungy that I've referenced before here.
Today's note for August 19 says, "Be patient ... Keep doing the ordinary things better than anyone else. Be uncommon. Do what we do."
I 've said it many times: I don't need to get the glory. Obviously, God deserves it for what He's provided and given to us.
Rather, I get satisfaction knowing that I've helped somebody else succeed.
That's what drives me. What drives you?
I'm convinced that the best thing we can do for others is to encourage and love them as a friend publicly and pray for them privately.
This was after arriving back to my house before going to work this morning -- and after I picked up my transcript from another university that I attended.
That transcript wasn't any better than the last one that I picked up.
However, I came away knowing why it had taken me so long to face those "failures", if you will.
Understand that I admit that I didn't finish the things well that I had started, but if I had been deeply loved and encouraged I believe that I might have succeeded instead of feeling condemned.
I think today that I realized that I hadn't wanted to go back and face that pain that I had from not having anyone firmly in my corner.
I experience some of that today, to some extent; however, I better manage how to deal with it than I did then.
I have an expansive number of friends that I can lean on now if I need to and I certainly appreciate those who have shared their confidence in me.
That's where the post came from today.
My daughter shared with me something from her last year at college that I think has some parallels to me.
She was in a regularly scheduled meeting of fellow resident advisers where she goes to college and she shared some things that she was going through.
She shared with me that some of them were shocked with her admission because they thought she was "all put together".
I think people think that of me too.
And this is something that I've shared with my daughter often. If you see me out and about, I probably come across as very confident and appearing to be on top of things.
If so, it is a result of me just trying to do my best at whatever I'm doing.
I'm not putting anything on or trying to impress anyone, but in reality I might be struggling and hurting. However, I would never want to burden anyone, even though it is contrary to what we're to believe from the Bible.
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
The big verse in the middle there from Galatians 6 is to bear ye another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
A good commentary on it all is here.
It states, "If a Christian brother or sister is weighed down or menaced by some burden or threat, be alert to that and quickly do something to help. Don't let them be crushed. Don't let them be destroyed."
It goes on and says, "Don't increase burdens. Make them lighter for people. Some of you wonder what you are supposed to do with your life. Here is a vocation that will bring you more satisfaction than if you became a millionaire ten times over: Develop the extraordinary skill for detecting the burdens of others and devote yourself daily to making them lighter."
And that's what my post was about: we should encourage and love people publicly, especially if we can spot that they might be heavy-hearted or sad, and then pray for them privately.
On the job front, I spoke with a recruiter about a healthcare consulting opportunity with one of the local systems of hospitals here. I'm supposed to have a follow-up with her peer. The pay is about 75% of what I make now, but I would be able to stay local.
It is a far way from anything happening, but I'm appreciative of the opportunity to share what I know.
I also had an interview with another area at the customer site that I'm at.
It was scheduled for 30 minutes and it ended up going 50 minutes.
There's some things that would be very new for me, but I feel like I can be successful in that role. And it would give me a very broad exposure to a number of different areas in the facilities as well as a number of different applications of a large, nationally-known healthcare information system.
This is something that my one advocate has sold this other area on me.
Again, I'm eternally grateful that I have people who have these confidences in me.
I think I can too, don't get me wrong, but we seem to always have doubts and have to sell others on ourselves it seems.
I'm reading a few different daily devotionals to be closer to God not just through this rough patch, but where I should have been all along.
Two are sports-minded. Well, everything is actually. It is how I relate, right? :-)
They are books written by John and Kathy Hillman from Waco.
The other materials are those from Tony Dungy that I've referenced before here.
Today's note for August 19 says, "Be patient ... Keep doing the ordinary things better than anyone else. Be uncommon. Do what we do."
I 've said it many times: I don't need to get the glory. Obviously, God deserves it for what He's provided and given to us.
Rather, I get satisfaction knowing that I've helped somebody else succeed.
That's what drives me. What drives you?
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